


you know in the end, i'll always be there

by soundbadger23



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:20:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23796781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soundbadger23/pseuds/soundbadger23
Summary: Annabeth doesn't believe in soulmates, not even when she meets her own. Friendship isn't out of the question, though. She could use a friend.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 19
Kudos: 247





	you know in the end, i'll always be there

**Author's Note:**

> second fic! this was originally supposed to be way shorter, oops. hope you enjoy :)

Annabeth didn’t care much for soulmates. She had decided the minute her mother walked out, away from her father and her seven-year old self, that the system was broken, and she would have no part in it. When those fated words appeared on her wrist on her sixteenth birthday, she was determined to ignore them. She wrapped an ACE bandage around her arm every day to cover the ink, which wasn’t an uncommon practice, but most others just wanted privacy, not to forget. Of course, try as she might, she couldn’t forget the words: _Who are you to judge?_

Not believing in soulmates didn’t stop her from dating, or trying to, as it was hard to find someone who didn’t care if they were predestined to be together. Then she met Luke. He was several years older than her, and fresh from a divorce from his soulmate. He was perfect: charming, smart, and completely uninterested in the tattoo on her wrist. They dated for just over a year, until he walked into their shared apartment with a guilty look on his face and explained that after talking to his ex-wife again, he wanted to give his marriage a second chance.

“Sorry,” he said, and it sounded genuine. “But she’s my soulmate. I can’t lose that again.”

He moved out, and had the decency to pay rent until their lease was up, but watching him leave was some of the worst pain Annabeth had ever experienced. It confirmed a suspicion she had had since childhood: the only person she could rely on was herself. She didn’t even trust the pizza delivery boy; she would go to the store and pick up her order her damn self.

At that point, she decided she needed some therapy. Dr. Jackie Hammond certainly agreed. She said Annabeth had “intense trust and abandonment issues.” She also said Annabeth should “avoid romantic relationships for the time being.” _Until you’re more stable_ , she didn’t say. Well, Annabeth had no problem with that. She wasn’t certain she believed in love anymore. It didn’t work out between soulmates, and it didn’t work out between not-soulmates. She had friends to get through life with, and that was enough.

She was on her way to see one of said friends, Piper, who she had known her entire life. She had basically grown up in Piper’s house, as her own was haunted by the absence of her mother and the negligence of her father. Piper’s family was different in that it was still whole—her parents were still together and disgustingly in love. Of course, that meant her friend was a believer. It caused arguments between them sometimes, but ultimately, they respected each other’s beliefs.

Today, they had planned to go on a small shopping trip. Piper said she needed some retail therapy after a long week at work, and Annabeth was happy to indulge. She took a bus to the outskirts of the city, where their favorite strip mall stood. They had discovered it during their university days, and its thrifty, cheap stores still held appeal.

When she arrived, Piper was already waiting for her at the bus stop. She had taken her car, a luxury Annabeth unfortunately did not have.

“Hey, Beth,” she said with a smile. “Feels like it’s been a while. Ready to listen to me bitch about my boss for a few hours?”

Annabeth smiled wryly back at her.

They walked through the various shops for a while, chatting and laughing at the more novelty items they saw. Piper opted to buy a shirt which read, ‘Never underestimate a flute player born in November.’ She was neither a flute player nor born in November, as Annabeth pointed out, but Piper thought the odd specificity made it funny enough to own. Annabeth was tempted by one that said ‘Awesome since 1995,’ because it implied she had been an extraordinarily shitty infant, but ultimately decided against it.

As they perused the home goods of Goodwill, Annabeth noticed that Piper was acting weird. She was staring at Annabeth strangely, and kept opening her mouth as if to speak, then closing it.

“What’s up?” she asked warily. Piper was only uncomfortable talking to her about one topic.

Piper looked everywhere but her face, and let a breath out. “I’ve been meaning to tell you—well, I did have a bad week at work, that was true—but there’s something else, too. I met my soulmate.” She squeaked out the last part.

Annabeth’s eyebrows shot up. “That…that’s great, Pipes.”

“Really?” her friend said apprehensively. “I know how you feel about that stuff. I’m not saying I’m in love already, or anything like that, but he seems like a nice guy and I’m going to give it a shot.” She tilted her chin up, looking at Annabeth with nervous defiance.

Annabeth realized her approval was important to her. Begrudgingly, she said, “I mean it, that’s great. I hope it goes well for you. Look, I might think the system is broken, but that shouldn’t stop you from chasing your happiness. It still works for some people.” _Just not me_ , she silently tacked on.

“Thank you,” Piper said, blinking hard.

Annabeth reached out and squeezed her hand. “Tell me about this guy.”

The guy’s name was Jason. He worked as an electrical engineer, he was blond, and that’s all Piper knew so far. They were going out for dinner the next day to get to know each other more.

“You know,” Piper said, eyeing her friend warily. “If you believe the system works for some people, is there a chance it could work for you?”

Annabeth laughed humorlessly, picking up a small sign from the shelf. It was in the same style as those _Live, Laugh, Love_ ones Facebook moms drooled over, but it was incomplete: it merely read, ‘It’s all about.’ Apparently, its companion explaining _what_ it’s all about had been purchased separately.

“I think I have a better chance of finding the idiot who bought the other half of this sign. Hell, that’s a better way to prove we’re soulmates than a tattoo.” She hated herself for sounding so bitter, for crushing her best friend’s excitement, but it was true.

Piper’s face closed off. “Maybe you should buy it then,” she snapped. “Good luck finding them.”

“I will,” Annabeth shot back, taking it up to the counter and slapping it down with a flourish.

Piper rolled her eyes. They left the store in tense silence and started walking back to the parking lot. Clearly, their excursion was over. Piper went to her car, hesitating as if to offer a ride, but Annabeth kept walking toward the bus stop. With a scowl, she muttered a goodbye and slammed the door shut, leaving the lot a minute later.

Annabeth waited at the bus stop for what felt like ages. She replayed her conversation with Piper in her head dozens of times, wondering why she couldn’t just suck it up and pretend to be happy for her friend, to be less of a cold-hearted bitch for once. Piper’s question had stuck with her, though. She did truly believe some people found happiness with their soulmates, so why _shouldn’t_ it work for her? She suspected the answer was more about her own brokenness than the system’s, and shook the thought away.

The bus she was waiting for finally arrived, slowly braking next to the stop. She let a few passengers get off before stepping on herself. She tapped her card on the kiosk and moved down the aisle, looking for an open seat away from noisy-looking people. Her energy and patience were worn down enough for the day. She fell into a seat toward the back, just glancing at the passenger next to her. His hoodie obscured most of his face, but he seemed quiet. She pulled out her earbuds, eager to block out any sounds of public transit. Just one click, and no more screaming baby, no more loud calls on speakerphone.

She leaned back into the headrest, letting the music take over. It was a throwback playlist, some rock music from the 2000s, and she was surprised to find she still remembered a lot of the lyrics. She tapped her foot to the beat as she solved crossword puzzles on her phone. Offhandedly, she looked again at the man riding next to her. She realized he hadn’t moved at all since she sat down, so he must’ve been asleep. _Or dead_. The joke fell flat even in her own head.

The bus hit a bump, and the stranger beside her flopped to the side in a way that would’ve been comical, except he was now sleeping on her shoulder, mouth open. She could feel his warm breath through her shirt. She tried to shrug him off, but he didn’t wake up.

“Um, hey,” she said, then repeated it louder. Still nothing. She scanned the rest of the bus, looking for another seat to move to, but the only one available was next to a mother with two toddlers, who were in the midst of a game of tag.

 _Shit_. She tried to rouse her sleeping neighbor one last time, but didn’t want to get too aggressive, lest he wake up and accuse her of assault or something. Given the day she was having, it didn’t seem unlikely. And if she was being honest, it felt sort of nice to be this close to another person. Or, as nice as it could be for face-to-shoulder action with a complete stranger. Of course the only person willing to snuggle with her was unconscious. Well, she would get off soon anyway. The bus came to a halt at the stop before hers, and a few people filtered out. She took that as a cue to get up, awkwardly shuffling out from under the man’s head.

As soon as she removed herself, his body started to tilt, and he woke with a start, eyes wide. He looked up at her in confusion, eyebrows knit together. She hated to admit it, but he was _really_ attractive. Black hair, artfully mussed, peeked out from beneath his hood. He had vibrant green eyes and a face that belonged on a marble statue. She felt a bolt of electricity run down her spine as they made eye contact.

She felt like she should say _something_. Chide him for disrespecting her personal space, maybe, but she was embarrassingly tongue-tied. What came out was, “You drool in your sleep,” which wasn’t the intelligent, flirty thing she had meant to say. His response shattered her train of thought.

“Who are you to judge?”

 _FUCK_. He seemed just as startled as she was. She felt like a bucket of ice water had been dropped on her head. A sense of dread clawed its way down her throat and sank into her stomach. He yanked down his sleeve, eyes fixated on the spot where she now knew a tattoo said _You drool in your sleep_.

The bus slowed to a halt as he looked back at her, mouth agape. “It’s you,” he said, and there was so much emotion in his voice, it was overwhelming. Her head screamed at her, _run_.

She tried to. As soon as the bus slowed to a stop, she darted toward the exit, leaping onto the sidewalk like a caged tiger set free. Her shopping bag snagged on the folding doors, and she tugged it after her uselessly. To her chagrin, the man—her _soulmate_ —had followed her off, and was watching her with a curious expression. He reached down to help untangle the bag. Annabeth gave a final, huge yank to get it away from him, and the plastic tore. Her little sign clattered to the ground at his feet.

He picked it up, turned it over in his hand. His lips quirked up into a smile at its odd phrasing, and she willed herself not to be drawn in. His smile turned mischievous as he pocketed the sign.

“Hey!” Annabeth protested, having finally found her voice.

“If you want it back, you have to talk to me,” he said, hands going up in a playful ‘don’t-shoot’ gesture.

“It’s not worth that much to me. It only cost a dollar,” she sniffed, not moving.

He narrowed his eyes, asking softly, “Who runs away from their soulmate?”

“Someone who’s not looking for one.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to get hurt.” She looked away, surprised at her own honesty.

“I wouldn’t hurt you,” he said, and it was clear that he believed it, but believing things didn’t make them true. Luke had made the same promise, and look where they ended up.

Annabeth shook her head.

He nodded slowly, seeming to accept her response, though he was obviously unhappy about it. If he was a romantic, like most believers, he probably thought their paths would cross again, as fate willed it. Cynically, she disagreed.

He took her sign back out of his pocket, glancing at it thoughtfully before handing it to her. She was prepared to bolt when he said, “It’s funny. I have one that looks just like it, but mine just says ‘family.’”

Annabeth froze. Hadn’t she just said earlier… It was almost too much of a coincidence. Maybe that’s what compelled her to stay.

“I’m Annabeth,” she blurted out, deeply curious about the signs. “Do you think they’re a pair?”

“I’m Percy,” he responded, a smile growing on his face. “And yeah, they look too similar for it to be a coincidence. I could show you.”

“Okay. Okay,” she nodded. “Can I meet you at the Starbucks on Fifth Avenue tomorrow?”

He was quick to agree. They exchanged phone numbers and were left standing together awkwardly.

“So, do you live around here?” Annabeth asked, breaking the tension. For some reason, she wanted the conversation to last just a little longer.

Percy rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. “Um, not really. I got off the bus early. I live further inbound, near the TD Bank Building downtown.”

“Oh.” More awkward silence. Thankfully, another bus approaching caught Annabeth’s eye, and she was quick to point it out. “There’s your second chance to get home,” she said, light tone not quite matching her eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you.” He threw her one last, lingering look and left.

As soon as the bus was out of sight, she let out a long breath, and walked to her apartment. Once inside, she started boiling water in the kettle for tea. What the hell was she thinking? She couldn’t allow her soulmate to become a part of her life, in any capacity. Some arbitrary markings on their wrists would not dictate his importance to her. If she gave Percy a chance, she was certain it would end in flames, no matter how well-intentioned he seemed. She sipped her tea.

 _But what about the signs?_ She was eager to dismiss it as pure coincidence, but found herself unable to believe that was true. Like, come on. Her universe-given soulmate just so happened to be the same guy who owned the counterpart to an obscure, thrifted sign she had? It seemed a sort of crass symbolism; like the phrase on the signs, her life would only make sense and be complete if he was in it. She was sickened by the notion. For years, she had desperately tried to make herself believe that she was enough by herself. She had to be, because no one else could be trusted enough to take care of her. Percy would be no different.

Still, some part of her brain stayed curious. What would she do if the signs were a match? Should she change her mind about soulmates, and give Percy a chance? She sighed and looked out the window, taking note of a billboard across the street. It had once advertised an insurance company, but half of the poster had been torn off. Now, it simply said, ‘Looking for a sign? This is it!’ She scowled and closed her blinds.

*

The following day, Annabeth walked to the Starbucks slowly. She forced herself not to be early, not to seem eager, because she wasn’t. Her small brown sign was in her jacket pocket, and she patted it every few minutes to reassure herself it was still there. She arrived a few minutes late, to her satisfaction. Percy was already there, waiting for her at a table in the back corner. He waved her over with a grin.

“I wasn’t sure you were going to show,” he teased.

“I’m not making a habit of it,” she said in a clipped tone.

She noticed there were already two coffee cups on the table. Percy pushed one across to her, saying, “I got you an Americano. Not sure what you like.”

“This is fine. Thank you.” She ripped open a couple pink sugar packets and stirred them in. She cleared her throat. “So, did you bring your sign?”

“Yeah, as promised,” he said, pulling it out of pocket and onto the table. Annabeth’s joined his, and it was evident that they were two halves of the same whole. The size, color, and font were a perfect match. _It’s all about family_. Ironic, given the state of hers.

“Well, shit,” Annabeth said. She tilted her head and rested it on her hand, staring at Percy across the table. “I’m going to be honest, I thought you were bullshitting me. I don’t really believe in the soulmate stuff. This,” she said, gesturing to the signs. “Feels like it means something. And I don’t know what to think about that.”

Again, she was startled by her own honesty. Something about Percy seemed to draw it from her. He was watching her with those piercing green eyes, slightly squinting, trying to understand.

“You think this is more substantial than, I don’t know, _this_?” he asked, showing her his tattoo in disbelief.

She wasn’t sure how to explain it to him without going too far into her stupid, tragic backstory, but her mouth started running anyway. “I’ve had bad experiences with the system. It ruined my family. It’s ruined lots of families. I can’t trust it. But _these_ are different. We both _chose_ to buy them.”

Suddenly, she came to her senses. Matching signs be damned, she didn’t need another man to disappoint her and break her heart. She bit her lip. “Look, I…I’m not in any state to be in a relationship right now. My last one ended recently, and badly, and I don’t know when, or if, I’ll be ready for another one. I’m sorry.” She inched her chair out, ready to leave.

“We could be friends?”

Annabeth paused.

“You said this might mean something. Give it a chance to?” Percy could hardly keep the hope out of his voice, and it scared her, how much he wanted to be let in. How close she was to allowing it.

“Okay.”

His face split into a grin. “Okay. Then as your friend, can I ask why you bought this ridiculous thing in the first place? It’s not even a complete sentence. So tacky. I cringe at what your house must look like, if this is your taste in interior design.”

Despite herself, Annabeth smiled back. “Says the guy who bought a ‘family’ sign. What are you, a wine mom?”

They fell into banter easily, like old friends reunited. It was nice to talk to someone besides her coworkers, or Piper. Ah, Piper. Annabeth realized guiltily that she hadn’t heard from her since yesterday, and she’d received no updates on her date with Jason. She would have to call her later and apologize. Hopefully Piper wouldn’t call her out for being such a useless hypocrite, seeing as she was now out with her own soulmate, albeit in a different context.

Checking her watch, Annabeth told Percy it was time for her to get going. “I enjoyed myself,” she admitted.

“I’ll text you,” he said, and it sounded like a promise. She could only hope he’d keep it.

*

Her phone call with Piper went as well as she could’ve hoped—soulmates were something they argued about frequently, but they were always quick to forgive each other. Her friend seemed more shocked than anything at the news.

“So you just went and hung out with him!?” Piper asked for the third time.

“Yes,” Annabeth said exasperatedly, though she wasn’t really annoyed. “I told you, there’s something about him that feels…right.”

“And that has nothing to do with the fact that he’s your soulmate?”

“No. Maybe. I don’t know! This situation is confusing enough as it is. We agreed to just be friends. That’s really all I can handle right now.” Annabeth bit her lip.

“Hey, I understand,” Piper said softly. “Hopefully he’s good for you, in whatever role he plays. You could use another friend.”

“I know.”

Annabeth hung up the phone and sighed. She checked her notifications out of habit, feeling a strange stab of disappointment when she had none. Perhaps Piper was right; she did need more friends. More socializing in general, really.

She wandered into the kitchen, and groaned when she saw the large stack of mail waiting to be sorted. She tossed most of it—“Junk, junk, junk—oh, shit, bill, junk”—and was satisfied with how clean her countertop then appeared. A small sticky note that had been hiding under the pile caught her attention. She picked it up curiously, and suddenly remembered its origin: the administrator at her architecture firm, Grover, had given Annabeth his phone number in a gesture of kinship. And there it lay, completely ignored, for months. It was no wonder she didn’t have any friends.

But she had decided to start making an effort. Grover was a sweet guy, maybe a couple years older than Annabeth, and she had no reason to dislike him. They could be friends, surely. She entered Grover’s number as a contact in her phone, and shot him a quick text: _Hey, it’s Annabeth from work. How’s your weekend? :)_

As soon as she pressed send, she was gripped with anxiety, her rush of courage gone. Should she send a follow-up message explaining the long interval between receiving the number and using it? Like she had a good excuse. Grover probably hated her. Annabeth turned off her phone and slid it away. She didn’t need a reminder of her pathetic attempt to socialize. It would sit there the rest of the night, waiting for a response that would never come.

She rose from her seat with a start, determined to distract herself from her folly. She was a champion stress-baker, and thought some chocolate chip cookies sounded divine. She rolled out her KitchenAid—a surprisingly well-chosen graduation gift from her father—and got to work. She didn’t need to check the recipe for measurements; she had it memorized at that point. It was kind of funny, she supposed, that she never actually learned to cook. She had relied on ramen and Lean Cuisines through the better half of her twenties, and didn’t expect that to change anytime soon. Baking was different. Indulgent. Soothing.

After ensuring they were a perfect, golden color, Annabeth took the cookies out of the oven and let them cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. It was tempting to eat one while they were fresh, but she knew they were still too hot, and it would crumble to pieces, the gooey chocolate chips not strong enough to hold it together. She waited until the second batch was ready before tasting one, and thought it was well worth the wait. She could practically feel the rush of serotonin in her brain as the cookie melted in her mouth, equally rich and sweet. It occurred to her that such perfection deserved to be shared.

She moved across the room, keeping her mind intentionally blank as she picked up her phone from its exile. No notifications. Before her brain could catch up, her fingers typed and sent a text to Percy, offering to bring him some cookies the next time they met. It surprised her a bit; she hadn’t planned on initiating anything with him, not soon, but if she wanted his cookies to be _fresh_ , they would have to see each other within the next few days.

He answered with a resounding yes, temporarily easing her insecurities. She didn’t want to speak too soon, but Percy seemed to be the type of person she could count on, if only she would let him in.

*

She got to know him better over the next few months. He was a punk at heart, and she laughed until she cried when he showed her a picture of himself in middle school.

“Why did your mom let you get a mohawk?” she wheezed. “Dear god.”

“I was a skater! That’s how we dressed! I’m not taking this shit from a _prep_.” He said it with such disgust, she had to laugh, ribs aching.

He studied marine biology in college, and worked at an aquarium in the city as a tour guide. He liked flowers, especially zinnias. They reminded him of his mom, whom he was very close to. _Must be nice_ , she thought but didn’t say. He never knew his father. His parents were soulmates, but his dad left the family shortly after Percy’s birth.

“I guess I get why you don’t buy into it. Soulmates don’t always work out,” he said ruefully.

“Yeah,” she said. “It only seems to work when it’s not in my favor.” She felt reckless telling him about Luke, how much he’d hurt her, but Percy merely listened.

She didn’t realize she was crying until he reached out and gave her a hug. She sank into his arms, grateful for his presence. He held her tight until her breathing slowed, then drew back.

“You okay?” She was. “You deserve so much better than that, Annabeth. I hope you know that.”

She was glad she told him; she had been very reserved about her personal life, and now he had at least part of an explanation. He stopped casually flirting with her, sensing it was crossing a line. Physical touch was also strictly limited. Words couldn’t express how thankful Annabeth was that he respected her wish to remain friends. It proved that he cared about her as a person, not just a soulmate. He wouldn’t force anything romantic between them, though she suspected that’s what he wanted.

After learning about her past, Percy was incredibly helpful in her effort to make friends. She had struck up a friendship with Grover, who never mentioned the randomness of her first contact. Percy helped her draft text messages that made her seem interesting, funny, and caring.

“You know, like you really are under all that awkwardness,” he said, and she shoved him.

The three of them had met for drinks on several occasions, and Annabeth quite liked their little trio.

One night, when the three of them were at Percy’s place, Grover took note of his small “Family” sign. “Hey, Annabeth, that looks just like the one in your house, except this one actually makes sense.”

“What a coincidence,” she said, sharing a sly look with Percy. Piper was the only one who knew the origin story of their relationship—it seemed silly in retrospect, a slightly embarrassing secret they had. That said, they both displayed their signs in their homes. Proudly, almost. Annabeth still thought it was a better symbol of their connection than a wordy tattoo.

Grover did know about _that_ , but was surprisingly non-judgmental. They loved him for it.

Annabeth had never had friends like the two of them before. She had grown up with Piper, and sometimes worried they only stayed together because of some childhood obligation. But these men had chosen her despite her broken pieces, and it felt like something permanent.

*

“I’m not saying I’m actively afraid of them! I’m just saying it would be unpleasant, and I try to avoid them as much as possible.”

“Percy, the bowling pin machine will not eat you.”

“So you say,” he snorted, popping another of Annabeth’s lemon tarts in his mouth. “These are amazing, by the way.”

“I know,” she said, slapping his hand away. “Which is why I’d love to have some left over.”

He scowled at her playfully, and Annabeth felt an odd prickling on her wrist tattoo.

At this point, she was willing to admit that she and Percy was one of her best friends. It had taken some work, at first, to let her walls down, but she hadn’t regretted it yet. He was something special, the rare kind of friend that supported her unconditionally as she worked through her issues. She hadn’t told him everything about her past, but she was slowly growing comfortable with the idea.

“What are you doing this weekend?” he asked. There was a newfound tension in his shoulders, though he kept his voice neutral.

“Probably nothing.”

“Cool. I’m going out to see my mom.” He paused, drumming his fingers on the countertop. “I know it’s kinda short notice, but would you want to come? She lives near the beach. It could be like a little vacation.”

Annabeth bit her lip. “I don’t know. I don’t want to intrude. Does your mom know about our…situation?”

“You mean that we’re friends? Yes.” He withered under her gaze. “Okay, yes, I told her that we’re soulmates too, but she knows it doesn’t mean anything to us.”

He couldn’t meet her eyes. Though they had been friends for quite a while, she still got the sense Percy believed in the more romantic aspect of soulmates. She glanced down at her soulmark, uncovered. She had decided a while ago that there was no point in hiding it anymore, since Percy already knew who she was. The only trace of her trusty ACE bandage was a faint tan line across her wrist.

“Well, I do like the beach,” she finally said. “And I’ve been looking for some time away from the city.”

Percy grinned. “Okay.”

Late that Friday afternoon, Percy arrived at Annabeth’s apartment with a rental car that looked fresh from the junkyard. It was an old SUV, its green color complemented with orange patches of rust and mud. She teased Percy about his choice in vehicle, and he claimed it was the only car available. She suspected it had more to do with its potential for off-roading on the beach, but let it slide. She spared one last glance to her little sign, lonely on its shelf, before locking her door.

The drive to his mom’s house was only a few hours, and they passed the time talking and singing along to the radio. Percy thought he was a good harmonizer. He _thought_. It was rather endearing, though, Annabeth supposed, as she watched him hit an ungodly note with a small smile. The sun was starting to set on the road behind them, and the golden light shining through the windows gave his skin a bronze glow. Annabeth felt a twist in her chest that she couldn’t quite understand. She looked away.

Sally Jackson’s house looked more like a cottage than a beach house, with a faded wood exterior that must have once been painted white. It was charming in a way, with flowers spilling off of the windowpanes and two identical rocking chairs on the porch. Annabeth could hear the crash of the ocean in the distance. She could understand why it appealed to someone like Percy’s mom: from what he had said about her, she was a nurturer, and very down to earth.

Percy retrieved their bags from the backseat and walked onto the porch. He rapped on the door twice before letting himself in, gesturing for Annabeth to follow. The first thing she noticed was that the place was very homey, and the second was the amazing smell wafting through the air. Percy’s mother appeared in the kitchen, pulling a pan of brownies out of the oven.

When she saw them, her whole face lit up. “Percy!” She drew her son into a hug, which he gladly returned. Her eyes landed on Annabeth.

“Hi, you must be Annabeth. I’ve heard a lot about you.” To Annabeth’s surprise, she received a hug too. It wasn’t uncomfortable; on the contrary, she felt soothed by Ms. Jackson’s presence. _Is this what having a good mother feels like?_ she thought with a hint of bitterness.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, too, Ms. Jackson,” she said, and it was true. Percy’s mother was his hero, and he had told Annabeth all about her perseverance in becoming a writer, and that she had made a lot of sacrifices for him growing up.

“Please, call me Sally,” Sally said, leaning back to give Annabeth an appraising look. She felt self-conscious for a moment, but then Sally declared, “You’re very beautiful. What are you doing hanging around a guy like _that_?” She gestured to Percy in mock disgust.

“Mom,” he protested, but he was smiling. “I have to get Annabeth set up upstairs. Did you change the sheets in the guest room?”

Sally’s hand clapped over her mouth. “I’m so sorry. Did I forget to tell you? Paul is renovating it. He’s turning it into an office space for me.” _Paul_ , Annabeth thought. The English teacher boyfriend. _How convenient, Paul._

Percy shifted back and forth. “Well, where is she supposed to sleep?”

“Can’t I just share with you?” The words were out of Annabeth’s mouth before she had time to process them. It wasn’t a terrible idea, as far as space was concerned, but it might push the boundaries they had set for each other. She watched Percy’s reaction closely. He turned pink, mouth slightly open, but managed to nod a response.

“Uh, yeah, I guess that’ll work. Want me to take your bag up?”

“Sure,” Annabeth swallowed, turning to follow him up the stairs. As soon as they were out of earshot, she said, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. We can make another arrangement if you want, like, I’ll sleep on the floor or something.”

He frowned at the suggestion. “You don’t have to do that. If anything, I thought _you’d_ be uncomfortable, since…” He didn’t have to say _you have intimacy issues_.

“It’s fine.”

Annabeth felt a surge of trepidation as they came to Percy’s childhood bedroom. It had obviously been remodeled since his youth, but the knowledge that he grew up here made it feel very personal.

“What, no racecar bed?” she teased, lightening the tension. Of course, she was glad they didn’t have to share a twin bed, though the one he had looked a bit too small to be queen-sized.

“Ha ha.” He sat down on the bed and pulled out his phone, tapping away some notifications. “Are you hungry? I guess we could’ve stopped for dinner on the way here, but I didn’t think of it.”

“It’s okay, I wasn’t really hungry,” Annabeth shrugged, leaning against the doorframe. Percy had carried her bag for her, so there was no reason to go inside yet.

“We could just have brownies,” he said with a childish grin. “My mom’s are the best.”

“Better than mine? We’ll see about that.”

After waiting a torturous thirty minutes for them to cool, Sally let Percy cut the brownies. Annabeth was surprised by this decision, because in _her_ kitchen, he was notorious for unfair portions. Somehow, his slice of cake was always twice the size of hers. She would call him out, and he would say he couldn’t control himself because it was just _so good_ , and she’d give in to the flattery.

Sally seemed to be aware of this tendency and watched him like a hawk, giving a small cough when she saw the knife waver. He grinned up at her guiltily.

When Annabeth finally got a taste, she had to stop herself from moaning. The brownies were the perfect combination of fudge and chewiness, and she felt chocolate chips melting in her mouth.

“These are amazing, Sally,” she said. “Are they homemade?”

“Of course,” Sally said. “I came up with the recipe.”

“Annabeth’s a baker, too,” Percy interjected, covering his mouth to stop any crumbs from spewing out. “She’s really good at it.”

Annabeth was pleased that he thought so. If he had grown up on Sally’s food, he must have had high standards for baked goods.

“That’s great,” Sally said, smiling warmly. “What’s your favorite thing to make?”

“I don’t know. I like lemon tarts, but just plain old chocolate chip cookies are hard to beat.”

Sally agreed that those were her favorite, too. She laughed as she recalled that Percy went through a phase where he only wanted to eat blue food, so she had to resort to dyeing her cookies. They stayed in the kitchen to chat a while longer, but eventually the conversation dwindled and Sally said she was going to bed.

Percy and Annabeth stayed seated at the counter for another couple minutes, the silence between them awkward. Their agreement to share a bed clearly occupied both of their thoughts. It didn’t have to mean anything, Annabeth told herself, and that gave her the courage to stand up.

“I’m tired too,” she said simply, and went upstairs to their— _their_ —room. She changed into pajamas and washed her face in the bathroom down the hall, and when she returned, Percy was already under the covers.

He saw her hesitate and offered a small smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep my hands to myself,” he said softly, and she felt a rush of affection for him.

She slid under the blankets, leaving a solid foot of space between them, and flipped off the light. It took her a while to fall asleep, and she knew the same was true for Percy: his breathing didn’t even out for at least an hour. She was turned away from him, facing the wall with open eyes. Her mind was alive with random thoughts. She focused on Percy’s breaths, and was amused when he started to snore lightly. It calmed her, and slowly, she felt herself drift off.

*

The next morning, Annabeth found herself in an awkward position. Percy had kept his word and kept his hands to himself, but the same could not be said for her. Her face was pressed into the back of his shoulder, one arm slung around his waist. Her tattoo was on fire. Immediately, her face flushed red, but she was unsure how to extract herself without waking him up. It would be cruel to send him mixed signals. Like, hey, I have no romantic interest in you and I hate that we’re soulmates, but wanna snuggle? It was literally sociopathic behavior.

That said, it wasn’t unpleasant, being so close to him. She could feel the warmth of his skin on her cheek through his shirt, could hear the steady beat of his heart. He shifted slightly, murmuring something, and she froze, but he didn’t wake. Gingerly, she withdrew her arm and edged backward until they were no longer touching. She got out of bed with a sigh of relief and headed downstairs for breakfast.

Sally was already in the kitchen when she got there, and she was in the midst of making pancakes.

“Good morning,” she said when she saw Annabeth. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Yep.”

They ate together in comfortable silence. The pancakes were heavenly, and Sally topped them with real maple syrup. As they were finishing off their food, Percy appeared. He looked like he had just woken up; his hair was a complete mess. Annabeth’s tattoo tingled.

“Are there any pancakes left?” he asked, voice rough from sleep.

“Yes, I made a plate for you,” Sally said, rising from her chair. “I have to do some work for my publisher this morning. I’ll see you two later.”

Annabeth watched Percy wolf down his pancakes across the table. He finished the whole plate in less than a few minutes, then drank an entire glass of water.

“Hungry?”

“Well, we didn’t really have dinner last night,” he defended. “Do you want to go to the beach soon? It’s not far.”

“Sure. You did promise me a vacation.”

“And I will deliver.” He grinned.

While she was waiting for him to get ready, Annabeth received a text from Piper asking how her weekend getaway was going. She hesitated. She wanted to tell Piper everything, from Sally’s sweetness to their unconventional, surprise sleeping arrangement, but a part of her wanted to keep it secret. Waking up next to Percy felt almost too personal to share. She sent back a vague message that said she was having a good time and left it at that.

When it was her turn in the bathroom, Annabeth donned her favorite green swimsuit, which, although modest by most standards, complemented her figure nicely. She wondered absently if Percy would like the color. It reminded her of his eyes. She put a slip on over the suit and smeared some sun lotion on her face.

“Ready to go?” she asked him, hefting a beach bag onto her shoulder. It was a bit heavy, considering she had packed a couple books in with their towels and sunscreen.

Percy led them down the street for a few minutes, then turned off onto a small dirt path. He claimed it was a shortcut only the locals knew about. Annabeth believed him, as it was too overgrown to have been used by tourists.

The beach wasn’t as crowded as she had expected: there were a few families and solitary sunbathers, but everyone was well spread out, leaving lots of space for privacy. Annabeth set the bag down in the sand and laid out her towel, ready to relax for a few hours before they returned to the house for lunch.

“You did not bring a book,” Percy said, staring at her in disbelief. “Come on, we’re supposed to be having fun!”

She glared at him. “This _is_ fun! Go make a sandcastle, or whatever the other children are doing.”

He huffed and laid his towel next to hers, muttering something about ungrateful nerds. Annabeth rolled her eyes. The silence lasted about twenty minutes. Percy alternated between playing games on his phone, looking out at the ocean, and glancing at her. When all three of those activities were exhausted, he stood up, stretching.

“Want to go for a dip?”

“Fine.” She closed her book and let him help her up.

They walked toward the tide, teetering a bit on the shifting sands. Cool water lapped over their feet, which sank into the ground. Percy let out a contented sigh. His eyes were closed, toes wiggling in the sand. It was nice, Annabeth thought, how much he loved it here.

“How did you end up in the city?” she blurted out. “You obviously love the ocean. Why not live out here?”

He seemed unprepared for the question, and she waited a moment for his response. “I do love it here,” he said. “But I didn’t always.”

“Oh?” Annabeth said softly, encouraging him to continue. He had alluded to some family problems in the past, but never truly elaborated.

“I had a stepdad named Gabe. He was the shittiest, most awful guy you can imagine.” His fists clenched at his sides. “Drank all the time, treated my mom like an object. And he _hated_ me. I wasn’t the best-behaved kid, I told you that, and he took it upon himself to fix that.”

Annabeth put a hand on his shoulder, rubbing gently, and his hand came up to meet it. Her wrist felt warm. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. You and your mom are amazing people. You didn’t deserve it.”

“Thanks.” He smiled at her shakily. “So that sucked. My mom finally kicked him out when I was in high school, but I never stopped associating that house with him. When it came time to apply to college, I wanted to get the hell out. I went to school in the city, got a job there, and just never left.” He shrugged.

“Oh.” Annabeth wasn’t quite sure what to say. She was no expert at handling family trauma. She squeezed his hand, trying to convey what couldn’t be put into words. _I’m with you_. He squeezed back.

*

That afternoon, Annabeth snuck out to the porch to call Piper. She was hoping her friend could offer some advice about the deepening of her and Percy’s relationship. She answered on the second ring.

“Hey, Beth, how’s your trip? Don’t be all vague this time, your text was a bit lacking this morning.”

Annabeth scowled briefly. “Oh, shut up. I actually need your help with something. Things with Percy are kind of intense right now. I’m not sure how I feel about it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well—god, I don’t know to explain this—we’re stuck sharing a bed for the weekend. Which I thought would be fine, I suggested it, so I can’t complain too much, but this morning when I woke up, we were spooning, and—”

“Who was the big spoon?”

“Me, but that’s not important. Is it? I don’t know. And today at the beach, he shared some really personal stuff about his childhood, which made me glad, because he trusts me, but also, _oh shit_ , he trusts me, and I don’t know if I can do it in return.” She paused to catch her breath.

“Can’t you?” Piper sounded hesitant. “Look, I know it’s hard for you, but if you think about it, don’t you trust him already? You talk all the time. He’s one of your closest friends. You let him kidnap you for the weekend without a second thought. That sounds like trust to me.”

“But he doesn’t know about my past, about my parents.”

“You could always tell him,” Piper suggested gently. “I don’t know the guy well, but I think he’d handle it well. He cares about you.”

“I know. I care about him, too.” She rubbed her soulmark absentmindedly.

“Trust issues aside, why the hell are you sleeping together?”

In spite of herself, Annabeth giggled. It was absurd. “It’s not like that! Their guest room wasn’t available, and neither of us wanted the couch. I didn’t think it would be a big deal.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” Piper conceded. “But come on, did you like it?”

“I didn’t _dislike_ it, but I’d be mortified if he found out. I was able to get out of bed without waking him up.”

“Oh, honey. There’s _no_ way he didn’t notice. That’s like trying to have sex in a dorm room. Subtle as you think you may be, your roommate is awake, and they can hear you. Every. Time.”

“Drawing off personal experience?”

“Unfortunately,” Piper groaned. “I actually have to get going. I’m going out with some word friends later.”

“No prob. I’ll talk to you soon.”

Annabeth hung up and clutched her phone to her chest, mulling over Piper’s words. She supposed she did trust Percy, in her own way. She wanted to tell him more about her emotional baggage, and soon, but needed some time to organize her thoughts on the matter. He had responded to her Luke story very well, and she was certain that when she was ready, he would listen to her about her parents, too. The screen door opened and Percy stepped out onto the porch.

“Hey, I was wondering where you went,” he said, slipping into the chair next to hers, their knees almost touching.

“Just talking to Piper,” she said casually. “Any big plans for the rest of the day?”

“Not really. I was thinking about going off-roading, but we wouldn’t have much time before high tide, so, maybe tomorrow.”

“I knew you picked that rental car for a reason.”

He grinned at her. “Well aren’t you perceptive. Now that I think of it, my mom asked if we wanted to play some board games before dinner. Maybe after that we can go back to the beach for a little.”

“That sounds nice. Fair warning, though: I’m a beast at Trivial Pursuit.”

“Noted. We will not play Trivial Pursuit.”

They played Trivial Pursuit. Annabeth slyly mentioned it to Sally while Percy was in another room, and the older woman loved the idea. The Jacksons had the pop culture edition that came out in the early 2000s, so they all had a decent chance at winning. Percy complained about the choice at first, but Annabeth could tell he didn’t really mind. Cards were read. Insults were exchanged. Snacks were eaten. Sally ended up pulling the victory, much to Annabeth’s chagrin and Percy’s delight.

Dinner was, again, fabulous. Annabeth offered to help out in the kitchen, hoping she would be able to pick up some tricks from Sally. She wasn’t allowed to help clean up.

“You’re our guest, don’t worry about it,” Sally said. She looked at Percy, who was slowly edging out of the room. “That doesn’t apply to you. Come on, help your poor mother with the dishes.”

Annabeth laughed and went upstairs to her room. She reclined on the bed and pulled out the book she had been reading earlier. She was concerned it would end up unfinished; the main plot wasn’t engaging enough to justify the unnecessary romance. She squinted at the pages, trying to make them more interesting, but had to give up. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her Instagram feed. Not many people were posting, so maybe it was a low-key weekend for all.

A knock sounded at the door, and she called for them to come in. It was Percy, hands pink from washing dishes. Or sunburn, she supposed, since it covered his cheeks too.

“Still want to go to the beach? It’s gorgeous at sunset.”

“Sure,” she agreed, rising to put her sandals on.

If it was possible, the beach was even less crowded in the evening than it was during the day. The sky was tinged with lilac. In the distance, a couple walked together, holding hands, occasionally reaching down to pick up a shell. Eventually, they faded out of sight. Annabeth sighed as the cool sea spray misted her face. The only sounds were the crash of the waves and the shifting of sand beneath their feet.

Percy dipped down to pick something off the ground. He shook some wet sand from its surface, and frowned when he realized it was a plastic bottle.

“I can’t believe someone would just leave this here. I think Grover’s rubbing off on me, we’ve got to throw it out when we get back,” he said in disgust.

“He’d be so proud,” she said teasingly. “I should send him a picture: Percy, future environmentalist.”

She opened her phone’s camera and turned it toward him. He held up the bottle like it was a freshly-caught fish, and gave her a dorky thumbs-up. She snorted and took the photo.

“This looks like it belongs on a redneck’s Tinder,” she said.

He took her phone and laughed. “It does. Next to eight pictures of a lifted pickup truck. Why don’t you get in one?”

He held the camera out and waved her over. His arm settled around her shoulders and they both smiled. She leaned into his side, soaking up the warmth of his sweatshirt. She hadn’t expected it to be so chilly, and hadn’t worn one herself. The pictures started out nice and Christmas card-worthy, but turned goofier as they started making faces at each other.

Later, when Annabeth scrolled through her camera roll in bed, she liked those the best, just the two of them being silly together. One in particular caught her eye: she was laughing, eyes closed, and Percy was looking at her with such unbridled affection she had to catch her breath. _Oh_.

Heart racing, she flipped to the next picture. His soft smile was morphing into a grin, and she was his mirror. Had their faces really been that close? As an observer, she thought they looked disgustingly in love. How could she have missed that? She thought about it: Percy, comforting her as she cried over Luke. Percy, helping her make much-needed friends. Percy, inviting her to meet his mother. Percy, telling her about his childhood trauma. And Percy, taking her for a fucking long walk on the beach at the most romantic time of day.

Then there was her: Annabeth, choosing to let him in. Annabeth, framing a picture of the two of them. Annabeth, letting him taste-test when she baked. Annabeth, trusting him like no other. And Annabeth, subconsciously reaching to hold him in her sleep. It was a lot to take in. After everything, had she really fallen for her soulmate?

She set her phone on the nightstand and slid under the covers, glad Percy was in the den and not next to her. Acting normal didn’t seem like a possibility, at least for now. By the time he came upstairs, she had fallen into a troubled sleep, and didn’t feel the feather-light brush of his kiss on her forehead, or hear the _goodnight_ whispered into her hair.

*

When she awoke the next morning, Annabeth was alone. It was probably for the best. After the revelation she’d had last night, she doubted she would’ve been able to control herself in another compromising position. Especially since she suspected her feelings were reciprocated. The room was very bright, she noticed. She must have slept in.

She treaded down the stairs, planning on foraging for breakfast. A simple Pop-Tart would suffice; she didn’t want to burden the Jacksons by asking them to cook, or by using their ingredients to make something herself. That simple plan was derailed when the smoke detector started going off. She picked up her pace, and ran into Percy coming around the corner.

“Sorry!” he yelped and pushed past her. A few seconds later, the beeping stopped. He returned, looking sheepish. “Sorry, did I wake you up? I was trying to make pancakes. Guess I’m not too good at it.”

“No, I was already up.” She stretched, taking in his appearance: messy hair, flushed face, singed shirt. It took all her willpower not to kiss him right there. “Looks like you could use some help.”

She tried not to laugh as she dumped the charred remains of his pancakes in the trash. Per his request, she added chocolate chips and blue food dye to the batter before pouring it on the griddle.

“Where’s your mom today?” she asked.

“She’s out with Paul, shopping for office furniture.”

“Ah, home improvement. The height of romance.”

He snorted, and accepted the plate of pancakes she pushed his way. She sat next to him at the table, glancing up at him every few seconds.

“What?” he finally asked, giving her a confused smile. “Waiting for the poison to kick in?”

“Please. You wish you were important enough to poison,” she said airily. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about some stuff.” _Oh, shit, was she really doing this?_

“What kind of stuff?”

“Soulmates.” _Oh, shit. She was really doing this_. “I’ve never really told you why I hate them so much. Luke was part of it, yeah, but that’s not the main reason.” She swallowed, looking him in the eye. “My parents were soulmates, like yours. But, Perce, they were _so_ unhappy. My mom left when I was seven, didn’t even bother leaving a note. It destroyed my dad, and completely ruined our family. I didn’t want anything like that to happen to me again.”

He opened his mouth as if to say something, and she knew it would be comforting, and kind, and wonderful, but she shushed him. She had to finish this first.

“Then I met you. No, don’t interrupt. I was terrified when I first met you, we both know that, but I couldn’t help being attracted to you. Against my better judgment, I wanted to get to know you, and I’m so glad I did. Your friendship means the world to me. But…”

“But?” he said, eyes swirling with fear and hope. She took his hand. It was shaking, or maybe that was her.

“But I think it’s worth jeopardizing. Because I really want to kiss you.”

“Okay,” he breathed, and then his lips were on hers and it was everything.

She cupped his face with her hands, and smiled into his mouth when his arms wrapped around her waist. They stayed in each other’s embrace for what felt like a long time. It was nowhere near long enough.

Eventually, he drew back, breathless. “I feel the same way. Obviously,” he grinned.

Sally returned that afternoon, and found the two watching TV together on the couch, relaxing after some time spent off-roading. If she noticed they were sitting much closer than they would have before, she didn’t mention it. She also didn’t mention it if she heard them decidedly _not_ sleeping that night. She was cool like that. _And probably long-suffering_ , Annabeth thought guiltily, but she found it hard to care when she could still remember the feeling of Percy’s lips on her neck.

They drove back to the city the following morning, the light of dawn creeping through the car’s windows. It was a familiar sight; Percy sang along to the radio, and Annabeth had a book open in her lap, but their entwined hands on the console suggested something had changed.

He dropped her off at her apartment with a kiss, promising to text her later, and she knew he would. He always kept his promises. It was something she could get used to.

*

He still drooled in his sleep, Annabeth noticed one morning, when she woke up in his apartment. _Gross_. Although, she supposed, she owed a lot to that habit. She stroked her soulmate tattoo with a faint smile and stared at the man who had captured her heart. It wasn’t every day she got to indulge herself like this, eyes tracing over the slopes of his face, his shoulders. His summer freckles were fading, and his hair was getting long, but she secretly hoped he would wait to cut it, just a little.

Her phone beeped on her nightstand, a reminder that she needed to catch the bus to work in twenty minutes. _Shit_. Reluctantly, she got out of bed and started getting ready for the day ahead. Breakfast, clothes, hair, makeup, done. She passed back through the bedroom to pick up her bag, and saw that Percy had started to rouse.

“Hey,” he said, still groggy.

“Hey.” She scoped the room to make sure she wasn’t missing any of her belongings. _Ah, phone charger_. She yanked it out of the wall and put it in her bag, finally ready to go. “I gotta go to work. I’ll see you later.”

He groaned in response, to which she rolled her eyes. “Not all of us are lucky enough to start our shifts at ten, Perce.”

“Hey,” he said again, propping his head up on his hand. Her heart did a flip at the sight of his tousled hair. “I hope you have a good day. I love you.”

They had never said it before. She couldn’t stop the smile from blooming across her face. “Yeah. I love you too.”

And even though she was already running late, she kicked off her pumps and crawled back into bed, where he welcomed her with open arms.

“I love you,” she whispered, a revelation, a confession.

He kissed her forehead, then her cheek, then her lips, and it felt like worship. “I love you,” he said back. She didn’t think she’d ever tire of hearing it.

She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, only for a few seconds, then scrambled out of bed and put her shoes back on. “I’m sorry, I really have to go,” she said, and that damned smile just wouldn’t go away. “I’ll see you later.”

“See you, Annabeth.” His mouth was curved into a grin wide enough to match hers.

 _This should be our morning routine_ , she thought, _cuddles and affirmations_.

“Hey,” he said, one last time. “We should do this every day.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” she agreed.

 _Maybe this is what it’s all about_.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope this fic is coherent lol it's the product of a lot of late nights and very little editing. as usual any feedback is appreciated!


End file.
